Haiti 'unprepared' as hurricane approaches

A powerful tropical storm is threatening to unleash lethal landslides in Haiti
where hundreds of thousands of survivors of January's devastating earthquake
still live in exposed tent cities as aid workers warned the country is
'unprepared'.

People wait in line to be evacuated from the Corail-Cesselesse tent refugee camp before the arrival of tropical storm Tomas in Port-au-PrincePhoto: AP

By Philip Sherwell in New York

12:33AM GMT 05 Nov 2010

Haitian leaders urged many displaced in the tent cities to evacuate as the storm bore down, but thousands clung to their makeshift homes.

"My sisters and brothers, leave the zones that are at risk, I beg of you," Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said in a television address.

Tropical Storm Tomas is forecast to regain hurricane strength today as it barrels past the coastline of the impoverished Caribbean country.

The US National Hurricane Centre said Tomas is expected to bring surging waves, heavy rains and possible flash flooding and mudslides.

Aid workers fear that up to 15 inches of rain will send torrents of mud on to the tent settlements sandwiched between the sea and mountains.